Kamp geneesheer Sectie N (Kamp H.I.) 1905 - 1910

This photo, 'Kamp geneesheer Sectie N (Kamp H.I.)' was taken by Augusta Curiel, though we don't know exactly when. What strikes me is the way that the almost monochromatic palette of blacks, greys, and browns forces you to slow down, look closely, and allow your eyes to adjust. Look at how the linear forms of the trees create a screen, almost obscuring the hut nestled behind. The surface has this dreamy, almost indistinct quality, like a memory half-forgotten. You can almost feel the humidity of the forest. Your eye struggles to settle on one particular point, moving from the rough texture of the fallen trees to the thatched roof of the hut, and then upwards, into the depths of the forest. It reminds me a little of some of the early landscape photography of Carleton Watkins. Both artists share a sensitivity to the quiet drama of the natural world. With Curiel, as with Watkins, meaning isn't fixed. It's something that slowly emerges over time.